Photo: Wikimedia Commons
About the university
The oldest English-speaking university in the world, built around a collegiate system — you belong to one of 39 colleges as much as to the university itself, and most teaching happens in small weekly tutorials.
Country
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
City
Oxford, England
Founded
1096
Study levels
Foundation, Undergraduate, Postgraduate, Postgraduate Research
Intakes
September, January (selected courses)
Approx. tuition
GBP 20k–38k/yr
Popular courses
What people actually study here.
Entry requirements & approximate costs
What it takes to get in, and to fund it.
Academic entry
Completed GCE A/Levels (or equivalent), with grades matched against the university's published entry tariff for your course. A foundation year is common where results fall short of direct entry.
English proficiency
IELTS Academic 6.0–7.0 overall is typical, with higher requirements for competitive courses. UKVI-approved tests are required where a Student visa is involved.
Approximate tuition
Roughly GBP 20,000–38,000 a year for most undergraduate and master's programmes; medicine and some specialist courses run considerably higher. Confirm current fees directly with the university.
These figures apply broadly across United Kingdom's higher-education system, not just University of Oxford, always confirm your specific course's exact requirements and fees on the university's own site.
Scholarships
Ways to lower the cost.
The Rhodes Scholarship and numerous college-specific bursaries support international students, though competition for both is intense.
The vibe
What it actually feels like.
- The collegiate system means your college — not just your subject — shapes your entire social life.
- Tutorials of one or two students with a world expert are the norm, not the exception.
- A city built almost entirely around the university — bike lanes, punts and centuries-old pubs included.
For Sri Lankan applicants
Why Sri Lankan students consider it.
For Sri Lankan students with the academic profile for it, Oxford's global reputation and tutorial-based teaching represent the most recognisable UK degree available, opening doors well beyond graduation.
Fun things to do
Life outside the lecture hall.
Punt on the River Cherwell, an Oxford rite of passage best attempted with friends and a picnic.
Browse the Bodleian Library's public exhibitions, or just admire the Radcliffe Camera from outside.
Join a college formal hall dinner — gowns, candlelight and centuries of tradition included.
Opportunities for international students
What's on offer if you're coming from abroad.
Application guidance
From application to visa-ready file.
- 1
Apply through UCAS (undergraduate) or directly to the university (postgraduate)
- 2
Submit certified transcripts and English test results
- 3
Receive an offer, followed by a CAS once academic and financial conditions are met
- 4
Begin your CAS shield and Student visa documentation
Once you have an offer, the documentation process covers exactly what identification, academic and financial evidence your visa file will need next.
Related guides
Documentation, explained.
Student Visa Document Checklist for Sri Lankan Students
The short version. For the full explanation of each item, see our complete documentation process guide.
Student Visa Proof of Funds Explained
The single most common reason a student visa file stalls, explained in plain English.
Common Student Visa Documentation Mistakes
Most refused or delayed files aren't refused for one big reason. They're delayed by three or four small, avoidable ones.
Also in United Kingdom
Other top United Kingdom universities.
References & sources
Where this page comes from.
- University of Oxford · official websiteVisit ↗
- International admissions pageVisit ↗
- Hero photograph · Wikimedia CommonsSource ↗
- Duke Humfrey's Library, inside the Bodleian · Wikimedia CommonsSource ↗
- Tom Quad, Christ Church · Wikimedia CommonsSource ↗
- Crest / coat of arms · Wikimedia CommonsSource ↗
Course lists, scholarships and admissions details summarised here are illustrative. Always confirm the current, exact terms on the university's own official website before applying. Photography is freely licensed via Wikimedia Commons, not sourced from the university's own site.
Aiming for University of Oxford? Let's make the money story match.
Campus photography & crest via Wikimedia Commons contributors. Course, admissions and scholarship details change. Always confirm current terms on the official site above before applying.